OAE Podcast S2 E4: The Real Freeloaders

There has been a coordinated effort to paint immigrants and poor people as fraudsters and freeloaders taking advantage of taxpayers. But who gains the most when we focus on the little guys? The big guys. The truth is, if we are going to care about fraud — real fraud — we need to look at the folks that are profiting off of a broken system: the ultra-wealthy and big corporations. Inspired by a recent video from More Perfect Union, Maria & Ainslee return to a topic that Ainslee wrote about last year about: corporate greed. Ainslee & Maria discuss ways you can organize to proactively protect your communities from the real fraudsters. They end with previewing a few new programs kicking into gear next month. More information about those programs are below.Links from this episode:* More Perfect Union full video* Next week’s webinar RSVP* The Helpers Cohort application* March 27 Coffee with Us RSVP* Ohio Equal Rights Seasonal Connections ToolkitEpisode Information:Recorded: Tuesday, February 17, 2026In this Episode: Maria Bruno, Ainslee Johnson-BrownProduced, Edited, and Recorded by: Devin “Dev Draper” Palmer and Tareya PalmerSupport Our WorkThanks for listening. Our work is sustained through the generous support of everyday Ohioans, not billionaire bankrollers. Please consider becoming a monthly supporter. Ever $5 a month can make a big difference.More from Ohioans Against ExtremismWebinar: WTF is Going on The Ohio Statehouse?!Join Ohioans Against Extremism to learn about bills being considered in the Ohio Legislature and ways you can take action to make a difference. Get caught up on what’s gone down so far and what experts and insiders expect to happen next. Yes, it will be recorded. Coffee with UsJoin Ohioans Against Extremism at the Columbus Library to drink coffee, decompress, and discuss the stuff that keeps us hopeful and motivatedGet the weekly “This week @ the Statehouse” into your inbox every Monday!We send weekly dispatches from Hell the Statehouse. Each week, we provide a brief overview of what we’re paying attention to as we monitor the Ohio Legislature. We will flag bills that are moving, bills we’re fighting for or against, and provide timely reminders about other things advocates should be thinking about.Make sure to sign up for our email alerts to get this summary right to your inbox every week.Join our Community Partner NetworkJoin a diverse network of community partners and take advantage of private planning sessions, exclusive safety resources, a free spot at OAE’s training sessions, and more. Learn More.Support & Follow Ohioans Against ExtremismDonate | Substack | Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | X | BlueSkyThanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it.OHAGAINSTEXTREMISM.ORG Get full access to Ohioans Against Extremism at ohagainstextremism.substack.com/subscribe